Unions to vote on industrial action against BHP

Mining giant BHP says it remains in discussions with several unions who are planning industrial action at seven of the company's Queensland coal mines.

Union members working at BHP's Queensland coal mines are voting on whether to take industrial action in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The unions are calling for a fairer distribution of the miners record profits, better pay for apprentices, and a reduction in contractors and fly-in fly-out employees.

In a statement, BHP says the unions are making unreasonable claims.

"The unions are pressing claims that would create major cost, productivity, and competitiveness impacts for the business, as well as wanting to reintroduce a range of outdated industrial practices," the company argued.

"As these are beyond reasonable expectations, discussions will continue for some time."

However, Rowan Webb from the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union says the claims are not unreasonable and strikes are not off the cards.

"We are not opposed to having a flexible workforce, we're definitely not opposed to them increasing their output but we don't want those sort of things to come at the expense of the workers and their communities," he told ABC News.

"We are not trying to restrict the company, but the company needs to recognise they've got a large workforce who have a view and that view needs to be heard."

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